Batman/Superman: World’s Finest is one of my favorite ongoing titles for a simple reason: it’s fun. The Mark Waid-penned series has excelled at combining old school Silver Age adventure with modern sensibilities from issue #1, and the recurring art team of Dan Mora and Adrian Guttierez has given his scripts a modern DC Superpowers feel that makes every issue and storyline a blast of pure superhero adventure. At over 50 issues, it’s a clear hit for DC, and yet that creative spark from Waid and his artists has yet to diminish, which is unheard of in an era where most titles struggle to make it past 20 issues. With Batman/Superman:World’s Finest #51, Mark Waid and Adrian Gutierrez drop Batman, Superman, and Robin into the world of Warlord‘s Skartaris, and give us one of the most entertaining issues of the year.
Called upon by the Air Force to investigate the mysterious disappearance of pilot Colonel Randall Kreitzer, Batman, Robin, and Superman are combing the Arctic Circle for any sign of the missing pilot and his craft. After hitting a magnetic field that drops both the Batwing and Superman, the three heroes find themselves dropped into the world of Skartaris, where another Air Force Colonel named Travis Morgan has made a name for himself as The Warlord. With Superman growing weaker by the moment in the magically infused realm, the clock is ticking for the heroes to find Kreitzer. But that’s easier said than done, as time moves faster in Skartaris than it does on Earth, and Kreitzer has already made himself home in this new realm as the monstrous Tyrant Rex, the very enemy that Travis Morgan is fighting.
Simply put, Mark Waid and Adrian Guttierez knock World’s Finest #51 out of the park. As someone who loves both the superhero and sword-and-sorcery genres, this issue was pure catnip for me, but it also showcases the ultimate strengths of what makes World’s Finest such a fun book. Waid’s script embraces the inherent silliness and ridiculousness of the DC Universe wholeheartedly, but at no point does he mock it. This is a book where Batman and Robin enter a completely different realm of reality and roll with the reveal instead of immediately trying to piece together why it’s impossible for this place to exist. Waid’s script also does a fantastic job of boiling down the core ideas of the old Warlord comics in a way that’s easy to understand but also enticing, so much so that I secretly hope this is a backdoor pitch for a new Warlord “All-In” series.
Yet even with the great plot, World’s Finest #51 showcases one of Waid’s other gifts: characterization. The dialogue between Batman and Robin is extremely fun, and balances the seriousness of the Dark Knight with the good-natured humor of the Boy Wonder that feels true to character while also showcasing the bond the two have. The same goes for Superman and Batman, and there’s a great moment later on in the issue where Waid once again nails the character of Superman when they all come across a massive T Rex attacking them. It’s a character moment that works for Superman and also sets the main plot in motion, something that seems easy to pull off in theory but can be a lot harder than people think.
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While I always miss Dan Mora when he’s not on the book, having Adrian Guttierrez on pencils is the next best thing. Guttierrez’ work is so close to the style that Mora set up in the early issues that at times it fooled me at first glance, but that doesn’t mean that Guttierez is just aping Mora. Instead, he’s able to use the set “house style” that World’s Finest has established and push it into new and exciting ways that show off his own skills as an artist. From Batman and Robin escaping a free-falling Batwing, to vast armies of prehistoric warriors, to an absolutely jaw-dropping, heavy metal-feeling final page, Guttierrez is really making a name for himself on World’s Finest, and this issue may be his best work yet.
If you haven’t been reading Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, this issue is a great jumping on point for one of the most consistently entertaining comics on the stands. Easy to pick up and start reading, it’s a testament to the talents of Mark Waid and Adrian Guttierez’s work, but also to the wide variety of stories you can tell with the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel. This series has been on the top of my “read pile” every time an issue comes out, and now that it’s featuring both characters in a fantasy setting with Travis Morgan? It’s just become a “wait outside for the shop to open” title.
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